Aghanistan's teen sensation Rashid Khan youngest-ever No 1 ODI bowler

JOHANNESBURG - At just 7 092 days of age, Afghanistan’s 19-year-old leg-spinning sensation has become the top-ranked ODI bowler, making him the youngest ever No1 in men's rankings history.

After a year in which Rashid Khan left plenty of records in his wake – and for which he was given the ICC Associate Cricketer of the Year award – the leg-spinner from Afghanistan has added another notch to his growing list of achievements.

Meanwhile the Proteas' Kagiso Rabada is now the fifth youngest player in ICC cricket to achieve a No 1 ranking with the top spot he achieved last year.

Rashid became the youngest player – and only teenager – to top any of the ICC Player Rankings tables for men when he became the No 1-ranked ODI bowler at just 7 092 days of age.

Confirmation of the achievement came on Monday after Afghanistan completed a 4-1 series-win over Zimbabwe in Sharjah.

Rashid was the highest wicket-taker in the series, claiming a remarkable haul of 16 wickets for a total of 127 runs, at a staggering average of 7.9.

Before Rashid, the youngest man to be No1 in any of the ICC Player Rankings was Saqlain Mushtaq. The Pakistan off-spinner was 7 683 days old when in January 1998 he ascended to top spot in the ODI rankings.